The Tunnel: Part I
by Phantom Syren
Summary: An old mine has been opened up to the public to view. Why would the Aztec travel this far up north? All the way to Texas? The place is magic, but if it is good or evil, no one has dug that deep yet, except for one high school student. RATED 4 GOREIMAGES.


Phantom Syren does not own any of the names or anime/game references used in my story. They all belong to the creators. Please enjoy.

**The****Tunnel **

By: Phantom Syren

**Part I**

_Journal Entry 1_

_1/3/97_

_Running was something that got you someplace. Even if it was to trouble, away from it, or for no big deal. You run for the things that you love, and then the things that you hate, or fear. But then who's to say that it, if it is fear or something you hate, won't find you? Is this how every story starts? With someone fearing something? I was walking right into it, and not running away when I got the point. Does that make me different in someway that people find it strong, smart, or stupid? Could my father being an ex US solider be it? This is my second chance to find out. Maybe something about me beside the fact that I love to live and love life since it's been good to me._

**PRESENT: Part I**

"Elizabeth! Front and center!" a man yelled from the yard. A youth in her late teens, who was about up to the shoulder of this man, pranced forward from a porch, where she was seated, plucking away at the strings of an acoustic guitar.

She presented a smile and the man couldn't help but also smile. "Yes father," she said as she lessened the smile, but it was still there on her gentle lips.

"Is your homework complete so that you may hang out with your fellow teens tonight?" he asked in an official manner.

Elizabeth chuckled. "Yes pops!"

Her father's eyebrow twitched. "You will address me as _Sir _or _Father_ young cutlass!" he barked.

Elizabeth rolled her eyes, and giggled a bit. "But _Sir_," she started, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You're not in uniform." She pointed with one of her long slender fingers to him. In fact, her father was not in uniform. He was dressed in a pair of shorts, a blue T-shirt, sandals and an apron, with the words upon it, 'I'm A Man' in big black bold letters.

Elizabeth's father looked himself up and down. He then narrowed his eyes. "I am too!" he pouted. He then smiled and relaxed. His voice even not as tense as it once was before. "You got me," he said as he flipped a stake on the grill. "So after dinner, you're going to go see a movie or something with your friends? Corky and Millie. Right?"

Elizabeth looked off for a moment. "We were thinking about going to The Tunnel," she answered.

"Is that some scary movie or something?" he asked her.

"No. It's more like an archeological dig thing I guess from what Corky said to me about it a moment ago on my phone," she answered him. "We decided on it last week."

"As long as you are home by eleven. It is a school night," he said. He then stopped suddenly. "Wait, why would there be anything to do with ancient civilizations here in Texas?" he asked.

Elizabeth shrugged a bit. "Don't know," she answered. "But Corky says that we will be studying something like this next week. All three of us want to get a better understanding of it, and get a head start. Corky says that it's interesting so, why not check it out?" she asked her father.

Her father nodded a bit. "Good planning. A way to stay ahead of the game," he said in approval. "Never let your guard down, in schoolwork, or out young missy Oveado.

"Ah! They're done!" With that, the stake was piled high on a glass platter, and giving to Elizabeth to take to the deck, where a patio table lingered, an umbrella dawn over the table, where there was a good summertime meal, and her mother.

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After dinner, Elizabeth snatched her keys from the top of her laptop, stuffing them in her pocket, running out the door, blowing mother and father a kiss as she went. She jumped into a little ford car, that was once her mothers, but is now hers till she could afford one of her own. Rolling down the driveway, and into an empty street, she was flagged down by the child next door, a book bag over his shoulder.

"Lizzy! Can I have a ride?" he was shouting.

"You better not be running away again John!" Elizabeth warned as she pulled to a halt a few yards from him.

"Oh no, no, no! I just need to get to the library in Dallas," he answered as he jumped into the backseat, buckling up.

"Well, I just happen to be on my way there," Elizabeth said quickly after his comment. She rolled her eyes. "Mister Jake, you are really smart for your young age," she said as she started to drive again.

Odd that it seemed, John was quite smart for his young age. Almost like he came from the future and back to the past. He wore those thick glasses, and had the nice haircut that was side swiped all the time that almost reminded Elizabeth of one of those nerds from the seventy's. And he knew a lot for his young age. He was about ten and was already in Algebra. No one would listen to him at all. They all thought that he was full of himself and the fact that he could type almost one-hundred fifty words on a computer or typewriter per minute didn't help at all. Elizabeth was amazed that this kid could do some of the things that he could do. And all he wanted was someone to talk to, and try to understand. Elizabeth would often listen to him, and try to stay on the same subject with him, but most of the time, she was lost.

"So, how's your pops?" he asked her.

Elizabeth grinned answering, "he's pops."

"So what are ya gonna do tonight?"

Elizabeth cocked her eyebrow at John's sudden change in accent. Was he trying to sound like he was from Flint or Detroit? The sound on his voice was alien to her.

"Nice try on the slurs in your words and word choice, but it sounds strange on you," she said as she turned down a corner. "Maybe you should try talking like you always do," she suggested to him.

"Who ever said that trying something new wasn't bad?" he asked.

"They are bad when you know what the outcome will be," she replied. "And to answer your first question; Cory, Millie, and myself are all going to The Tunnel tonight to try and get a head start in understanding--"

"The Mayan world?!" he asked abruptly. His eyes then became wide. "Sweet! I've got loads of information if you want to read it or hear me recite it from memory!"

First, Elizabeth laughed at his sudden outburst, but then raised her eyebrow again as she started to chuckle a bit. "You've got essays and textbooks memorized?"

"Yeah! The Mayan's started to build these temples for their kings and gods and--" he was cut off with a wave of her hand.

She acted excited, though she wasn't in the mood to hear him talk right at the moment. "Can I go there first and then have you answer some of my questions?" she asked.

He looked off then nodded. "Alright," he said. "So, how's Mistress Tellsea?"

Elizabeth grinned as she thought of the last interesting conversation that she had with her favorite teacher in all of her high school. "Last time we were having a random little talk, I was talking to her about a story." Elizabeth chuckled as she recalled her last class and the discussion.

**EARLIER THAT WEEK...**

Most of the class was disappearing out the class room door a few minutes before the bell was to ring. Not many of the high scholars took English for a serious class. Many of the students would call friends, text, listen to music, talk, draw, write notes... anything but listen to the teacher, who was the best teacher in the school, in Elizabeth's view. This teacher wouldn't just hand out work and be silent, but try to explain it step by step, then repeat it if she needed to, to the student at hand.

The name of this teacher, was Mistress Tellsea. Miss Hands. Mistress Hands. Miss Tellsea. Mistress. Hands. Tellsea. The teacher didn't gave a care in the world which name she was called by both students and staff. Just as long as the student's learned the day's lesson and that the staff was comfortable. Most of the time, the staff was not.

She's an oddball amongst many in this inner city school. She dresses in the things that many would find creepy back up north. She seemed to love those corsets. Those black ones that had the gothic taste in it. She seemed to also be festinated with black spike heels or army boots. She would always wear something like this every day, and tell the students as they left, "Make sure to feed your fairies or dragon!" or "Make sure that you carry a cross with you when walking home in the dark and cut off the zombie's head!"

So why did Elizabeth find this women so interesting and the coolest? It was simple: most of the teens that dressed in the emo style or gothic style, were depressed or acted that way, with cuts on their arms and board, sad faces. They talked about death and smoked like a chimney. They were never working. They were boring, and almost lifeless.

Mistress on the other hand, was nothing like that. She hated smoking, and when she teaches and has the student's full attention, she's a mad ping-pong ball! She'll stand on her desk to explain things. She'd throw things at you. Shout. Yell. Jump. Skip. Give facial animation. Dance. Draw pitchers on the board... all while teaching, all when she's in a good mood, which was almost all of the time. She'd never get mad at another student. And she'd always talk to you about anything. She'd get more energized if it was about dark creatures or some horror book, which was Elizabeth's interests ever since meeting this bizarre teacher.

When the school's theme was North America last year, she had them reading horror flicks by Stephen King, Aaron Bennett, Max Brooks, or something that took place in North America, while involving vampires or werewolves, bloody murders or something off the wall.

But then English was the most interesting class because of Mistress. The bad thing though, was that Mistress would loose a lot of the student's attention about ten to fifteen minutes before the bell would ring.

Elizabeth smiled as Mistress shouted, "Make sure to try and kill a vampire and bring me back a tooth! I'll give you an extra ten points in class if you do!"

Some students snickered and other muttered amounts themselves as they walked away. Elizabeth, along with a few other students remained seated as they waited for Mistress to continue.

Mistress turned back to her now, smaller class. She smiled herself. "What page were we on?" she asked. She then waved it off. "Ah, forget it! Let's discuss what we read today."

Elizabeth, along with one other student, named Sam, raised their hands. Mistress picked Sam.

"That the biggest and maddest vampire around is Alucard?" he asked.

Mistress laughed. "Yes, but next time, try to pay attention to the writing style of the author," she answered him. "Elizabeth?"

"That the only way to kill off an army of zombies is to find the vampire controlling them and kill them," Elizabeth answered. Mistress winked as she leaned on her chair, awaiting the right answer from her. "That the author of this book loves to carry out something. He still hasn't told the full story of the main character, and we're in the sixth comic book."

"True! A way to carry out a story is not have the reader know jack about a character till the near end or very end. Keeps many readers, reading. And it's called a Manga, not a comic book. It's called a comic book if it's made in America." She smiled. "Good job! Anyone wanna add something along?" Four other hands went up.

This year, the school theme was South America, but Mistress had them reading comic books from Japan. She had no idea except for the fact that the story took place in England and that except that they went to South America on a mission. It was a nice little side read. It was true that some of the things that Mistress had them read would drive Elizabeth up the wall, but then it was a good break from just looking at words all the time.

Elizabeth listened in on the other answers and talk about the comic, as she twirled her long hair in her fingers and taking notes. Finely, the bell sounded and the hall broke out in chatter as students ran out of their classrooms, and onto another or to talk to their friends or girlfriend or boyfriend.

Next block was Elizabeth's history block. Not caring about it, she packed slowly as her other fellow students rushed pass Mistress.

"Have you brought me a vampires tooth and wish to give it to me in privet so that the others wouldn't become envious?" Mistress asked Elizabeth randomly, followed by a small giggle. "What's up kiddo?" she asked as she walked over smiling.

Elizabeth grinned back. "I'm thinking about writing a story about some dark creature. Care to help me get the facts straight about werewolves?" she asked, her grin now a smirk on her lips.

Mistress beamed back, flicking her long black hair behind her shoulder. "Any day!" she answered excitedly. "I'll lend you some of my short stories about them and what not if you'd like. It's good that you've decided to write a story!"

"Thank you for your support," Elizabeth replied as she threw her bag over her shoulder. "I'm thinking about writing one close to home."

"Those are always good ones, and they seem scarier and crazier because they took place right outside your window and in the back yard!"

"Thanks for the help. I'll try to make it the best story around here."

"I'm sure that it will be since you are the only one that seems to listen to the random things that come out of my big mouth," she said, looking off a bit.

Elizabeth smiled. If she were to ever have a big sister, she would think that Mistress would be her. "Thank you again! But I should be going. I have history next."

Mistress's eyes became wide. "Mister Merose! You better get going! I hear that he's mean to those whom are late!" Elizabeth smiled. "You're not moving fast enough young lady! What if zombies were after you?! Hmm? They would have eaten you by now!" Mistress started to push Elizabeth out her door. "See you later kiddo!"

**PRESENT...**

Elizabeth smiled a bit. "So you're gonna write a short story?! Great! Can I help edit it?" John asked as he shifted about in the seat.

"You're the first person on my list," Elizabeth answered him. "I was thinking about doing something about a werewolf or about someone's process into it, struggle sort of thing."

"Sounds wicked!" John said and then the rest of the ride was in silence, but once and a while, John would start in with explaining how something worked or the anatomy of an animal.

Sometime later, they came to the library, and Elizabeth dropped him off at the front doors.

"Do you have a ride home?" she asked him.

"Yep!" he answered. "Thanks for the ride!" and he ran inside.

Elizabeth smiled as she pulled away.

_Neat kid, _she though. _Too bad no one will be a bit easy on him..._

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Around eleven o' ten, Elizabeth pulled back up into her driveway. Her father was standing on the deck, waiting for her.

"You're ten minutes late youngster!" he snapped.

Elizabeth grinned. "Sorry dad! Corky got hungry and we had to stop at the local McDonalds to get him something to eat," she said.

"You will address me as _Sir _or _Father_!" he snapped like a military dog again. Elizabeth stuck out her bottom lip, and her father couldn't help but smile. "How was it Lizzy?"

"It was great dad! They found the dig in an abandoned coalmine and..." she went on for about a minute before her father reminded her that she needed to go to school tomorrow. Elizabeth smiled as she dashed into the house, her father close behind her.

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The next day, walking into the school building and past the first security point, Elizabeth couldn't stop talking about The Tunnel with Corky and Millie.

"I've taken notes!" Elizabeth said. "I think that I could use this in my short story!"

"But then how are the Mayan's gonna tie into zombies and crap?" Corky asked.

Elizabeth beamed. "You'll see!"

The redhead, Corky, was tall and loves to study, but could never make connections between the classes as Elizabeth observed. Though he was scared of Elizabeth's father, because the man was so big and nothing but muscle, and barked at him for being male and near his daughter, Corky was an alright guy. He never really skipped out on school and always tried to pull in good grades.

"I can't wait to read it!" Millie said, chewing on some gum. Mille was Elizabeth's best friend ever since coming to Texas. They were pen pals for a year before Elizabeth moved down. Though this blonde acted like the hair color sometimes, she was an understanding girl and would take the time of the day to hear someone out.

"I can't wait to tell Mistress!" Elizabeth said in a jumpy tone.

"Oh brother!" Corky snorted.

"Did you know that they lost about twenty-some miners in there? They named it the Tunnel in honor of the women miner that tried to save some of the miners. It's a graveyard! Isn't that so great?!" Elizabeth asked. "I've been doing some research! And when they reopened it to start digging again after fifty years, they found the hieroglyphics past the collapsed tunnel, but no bodies! Isn't that creepy?"

"I totally support you in writing this story and writing up the report in history!" Millie said as she gave a small jump in their walk.

"And they're not about to shut-up for a few days..." Corky mutters as he pulled away from the two chattering girls. "Can't we just get work done?"

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As the week went on, what the group of friends predicted came to light: they were going to have to write a report about the Mayan civilization, and they were going to be having an outing one Saturday to the Tunnel to get a better idea.

Many found it amazing that the Mayans managed to travel that far north. And many found it both strange and amazing. What were they this far up for? Was it war? A new god or goddess? Resources? Did the food supply run low or out or was the water contaminated? A new people? No one really had any answers. Theories, but not rock solid answers.

That's what the paper was to be on; the student's theory, and others if they could find them. And though Elizabeth and her friends had been there once, they wanted to go again, and pick up anything that they missed or over looked. Elizabeth's parents even volunteered to be chaperones for the small group of students that turned in permission slips.

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Once again, at the end of an English class, Elizabeth stayed behind to chat Mistress.

"Thank Lucifer that it's Friday!" she called after her students.

"Hello Mistress," Elizabeth said as the students left.

"Elizabeth! How's that story coming along?" she asked her as she walked over to Elizabeth, her black ankle dress fluttering in her wake.

Elizabeth was in a simple tank top and shorts, since the days were hot to her. Others just dressed in jeans. Elizabeth was finding it amazing that the woman can dress in a full black outfit in the middle of ninety-degree weather, but it was Mistress Tellsea Hands. The crazy cool teacher.

"Not quite sure," Elizabeth answered. "I think that I can add more when I go to the Tunnel tomorrow with my class."

Mistress bit her dark red lip a bit. "Are you sure you wanna go there?"

Elizabeth gave Mistress a confused look. Mistress was acting a bit strange. The women would rarely second-guess a dissection. She would always motivate her students, and right now, she was doing something totally foreign to her personality.

"What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked after a while.

Mistress shrugged. "I don't know. I think it's a fake," she answered. She then got her mischief grin on her lips and her face. "But," she said as she leaned in close to Elizabeth's face. Elizabeth did not move. She didn't fear anyone that she trusted. "Remember to bring a flashlight! It could get... dark!"

Elizabeth gave a small smile. "I plan to! It's my dad that's coming along also, so he's bound to bring something as well."

Mistress nodded. "Well then, better get going and get school over with and go home to pack!" she said as she started to push Elizabeth out the door. "And be careful!" she shouted after Elizabeth. "Wouldn't want you to fall!"

The rest of the day flew by for Elizabeth without a second thought.

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Elizabeth was glad to be home at last. A time were she could sit down, and pluck away at her guitar, and relax a bit. Though she was still excited about the next day, she tried forcing herself to relax and settle a bit. She even tried to do what Mistress does when on her break; meditate while seating on top of her desk. Elizabeth not having a huge desk like Mistress's, soon finding that meditating was not helping her at all. So, she started to pack a small backpack with things like her digital camera, and water.

Her father walked into her room, and looked to the top of a shelf located far above the teens head, where she could barely reach except for just the tips of her fingers.

"This must have a layer of dust on it young cutlass," he said as he wiped the corner of the shelf with his fingers, some dust upon his hand now. "And what's this!?" He walked over to the pair of his daughters sneakers that were set neatly next to one another. He wasn't worried about those, but more like the socks that were wadded up next to them.

"They're called socks, pops," she said as she grinned at him.

"It's _Sir_ or _Father_ to you missy!" he snapped. He then smiled. "You ready to go for tomorrow? It's gonna be an all day thing. And only ten students are coming."

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes Sir!"

"Lunch?" he asked.

"I'm making it and putting it in the fridge now," a women's voice called from another room.

"Thanks baby," Elizabeth's father called out the room. He looked back to his daughter. "Extra pair of clothing?" he asked.

Elizabeth smiled. "You're joking," she said.

"Yes! camera?"

"Check."

"Note book?"

"Check," and the list went on for a few more seconds till he asked about a flashlight.

"Oh yeah! I was just going to go and get one from the laundry room," she answered.

"Better scoot!" he said.

A few minutes later, Elizabeth was back to plucking at her guitar while the TV was on, talking about nothing in particular.

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The next day, Elizabeth was up and dressed. She quickly made her bed, and walked out to the kitchen to eat. Her mother was just setting out some juice and started to make omelets.

"How did you sleep Lizzy?" her mother asked.

"Well, I guess," Elizabeth answered, poring some juice in a glass for herself. She smiled at the smell of the food cooking. Everything food wise in the house was organic. Her mother was a health freak, and has many years of being a nurse to prove it. "Can I help in any way?"

"Sure Lizzy, Watch your fathers omelet. I need to go and feed Sage and go on a morning walk with her," her mother said as she handed her daughter a spatula.

Elizabeth gave another long yawn. Her mother was always light spirited and even with their dog, Sage, a chocolate Labrador, had to get good food and have good exercise.

"C'mon Sage!" Elizabeth heard her mother call as she picked up a dog bowl with leftovers from last nights dinner.

A well fit dog, that seemed to lay dead under the table, sprung to life and ran toward the women, it's tail wagging uncontrollably, as it panted severely, and amber eyes begging toward the women at it's large black nose. The women and dog were soon outside, and the dog inhaled the bowl of food.

When Elizabeth had finished making her father's omelet, the two were gone.

Her father soon came into the kitchen, a smile on his face. "I've got your bag, along with our other things in the car. We're set to leave when we're done eating."

"Thanks," Elizabeth said as she handed her father the plate with the omelet on it. "Mom's out walking Sage."

"Has she eaten yet?"

"No idea, but that's mom." Elizabeth started to make another omelet. "I'll make her one also." She turned back to the stove.

"John is also tagging along, I hope you don't mind," her father then said as he took a bite of his food.

Elizabeth narrows her eyes into the pan. She soon chirped up. "That's great! Are we going to pick him up?"

"Yes."

Elizabeth bit her bottom lip slightly, but soon stopped when she found her chewing becoming harder. _Neat kid, but he's starting to get annoying! It's like, he's trying to make sure that he gets to edit my story! I might as well give him my journal to edit_! she thought harshly. She shook it off and went back to cooking.

When Elizabeth's mother came back, she also ate, thanking Elizabeth for making her something to eat. They put Sage in the fenced-in backyard, and were off before long.

John flagged them down at the corner of the street, and was soon in the backseat with Elizabeth. John, who was also scared of the muscular man in the front seat driving, kept to himself most of the ride. Elizabeth was glad about this.

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They arrived at The Tunnel, and found that it was crowded with many people. John, who also brought a pack of things, threw it around his shoulder, and took out his flash light. Elizabeth snickered.

"John," she started as she gained his attention. "There's no need for a flashlight. Everything's lit inside."

He looked off for a second. "But you brought one."

"Only because pops told me to," she answered. Automatically, her father snapped about the pops name. She brushed it off. "Then again, you're right; who said that it isn't bad to be prepared?"

He grinned back.

Only minutes later, the rest of the class showed up. There was a total of nine students from sophomore to senior. Elizabeth was glad that all of the students were the ones that wanted to pass high school. And the thing that made Elizabeth more excited, was that a class of elementary children were there as well. A whole class of twenty it looked like! She loved the fact that more people were interested in The Tunnel than she thought.

With her pack over her shoulder, she followed her class into the mouth of the tunnel.

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The tour started, their tour guide a little person who had a hardhat on, along with everyone else in the group, but his being orange, and the tourist being white. The little person must have been in his mid thirties, but his head was right up to Elizabeth's ribcage. He talked about safety and staying with the group and not wandering off, and he assured John that the tunnels were well lit.

They moved past the opening of where workers found the Mayan tunnel. The tour guide talked about the hieroglyphics, and what they thought they meant. Elizabeth was enjoying herself, snapping pitchers and scratching down notes in her notebook. The first time she was here with Corky and Millie, they went on the shorter tour.

Some time later, the guide allowed them to sit and eat their lunches. Everyone ate, while chatting about The Tunnel and talking with the tour guide.

Elizabeth munched on her BLT, while watching the two trouble makers of the school; Andrew Jacks, and Brian Olson. She had this feeling that they were not up to any good. They didn't seem to be talking about the tour, and they were watching her parents, and the tour guide meticulously. She could tell that they weren't up to any good.

After the group got done eating, the pushed on, and into a large tomb. There was an alter in the center, a barrier of rope between the people and the alter. Upon the alter was many stunning things that looked like offerings in rusted iron, gold, and turquoise stones.

Elizabeth still kept an eye on Andrew and Brian. And sure enough, they slipped down into a passage that was blocked off with rope, and into darkness. No one caught it but her. She figured that she'd be nice to them, and give them a chance to come back by following them and warning them. If they didn't come back with her, then she'd call her father to take care of them. If they came back and did it again, her father was the answer. She thought this all out in a millisecond as she slipped into the passage to follow them.

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It was dark in this passage as she followed them silently. They chattered about as they wandered, having their flashlights set to the ground to guide them.

"What a lame tour!" Andrew said shooting glanced left and right.

"'Don't take anything from The Tunnel?!' How rude! What if we want a souvenir?" Brian asked, his voice soaked in sarcasm as he quoted the tour guide.

"Tell me about it," Andrew answered as they walked on. "We've gotta find something to take home though. I bet I can sell it and gain some doe," Andrew said as he looked behind him. He saw nothing.

They walked on till they came to a tunnel that seemed to continue with no turns.

"Foot race?" Brian asked as he grinned at his friend.

"Why not?"

With that, they dashed forward. Their feet heavy on the rock floors, making echoes down the tunnel. This place started to remind Elizabeth of a lava tube as she followed, running also, but her feet lighter. She didn't even have her flashlight out as she ran. Soon, the walls of the passage started to fade out of hieroglyphics, and into what looked like liquid black walls. She didn't pay much attention to them though.

The trouble makers soon came to a halt as one of their foots hit the ground and made a different sound. Elizabeth stood at a distance as she watched them. Her eyes were narrowed and she tried to keep her breath down so that they might not hear her. The band in her hardhat was sticky with sweat against her forehead as she squinted her eyes to try and get a better look.

Andrews face lit up as he looked to his friend, gasping is astonishment and mischief. "This is so cool!" he said, sounding like Paris Hilton as he imitated her.

"Where do ya think it leads?" Brian asked, a grin upon his lips.

Andrew didn't answer as he bolted forward, a dim overhead light flickering on as he ran under them. Brian soon shot forward, laughing like a wild hyena and Elizabeth followed far behind, silent.

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From what Elizabeth observed, this tunnel had aluminum bulkheads, walls and a concrete floor, which also had a track on it. The ceiling was high, with overhead dim florescent lights, and was made of newly added wood. It seemed like a state-of-the-art coal tunnel. She was finding it odd, that there was all this down here. There wasn't even wires showing for where the lights were coming from.

The two trouble makers soon slowed and started to walk. Elizabeth did the same, finding it clear that they weren't about to turn back. They rounded a corner and came to a large metal door, swinging it opening slightly.

"You think we should go down there?" Andrew asked.

Brian was about to answer, but was cut off by Elizabeth, who sounded both annoyed and angry. "I think that you should turn back and come with me!" she snapped.

Both boys wheeled around on their heels. Stunned at seeing her.

"How did you...?!" Brian gasped.

"Come with me now, and lets go back, and I'll not remember this," she offered up.

"And what will you do? Tell a teacher?" Andrew snapped. "The most they'll do is yell at us!"

Elizabeth shook her head. "I was thinking more along of the lines of my father. He'll have you scrubbing the car with toothbrushes or something."

Andrew chuckled. "Ha! He wouldn't dare!"

"Wanna bet on that?" Elizabeth offered up. "You've got ten seconds to make that option," she warned.

Andrew didn't even blink. "Brian?"

Brian answered with a mumble.

"You with me?"

With that, Brian dashed into the other room, Andrew right behind him and they slammed the door shut.

Elizabeth's teeth clenched together, and she turned to start walking back down the passage. She would have gone after them, but she knew that it would be of no use. She'd just report to her father, and then that would be the end of it. She cursed to herself a few times, but then yawned.

_Maybe I should snap some pitchers. It wouldn't hurt to take pitchers of this, now would it?_ she thought as she pulled out her camera again. Snapping pitchers of a few things here and there.

She then came to the start of the metal tunnel, where rock met the aluminum. She snapped a pitcher of that quickly and then put her camera back in her bag as she then pulled her flashlight out.

She was zipping her bag shut when something moved up ahead of her in the rock. Her heart gave a sudden jump as she started to move slowly. A growl. Her eyes became wide, and she moved the slower. She had no idea what it was, but it was starting to frighten her.

She heard a heavy step. Step. Step. Slowly, and grave. Her eyes became wider and she didn't blink once as she watched the darkness. The florescent light behind her gave a flicker and went out. The steps stopped as her breath was caught in her stomach.

Her nostrils caught the sent of something. Rusted iron. Rotten flesh. A morn sounded out. Elizabeth finally blinked; her eyes watering. There was a click in the darkness as her flashlight pierced the darkness in front of her.

Her jaw fell open as she took in the sight. The pupils in her hazel eyes became constricted.

"Holy Hell!" she mutters at the creature, her jaw snapping shut.

It's flesh was gray and rotten. It hung one shoulder, for that arm was missing, and black liquid stained all about it's shirt, some of it's shirt torn, exposing more rotten skin or the occasional rib. It appeared to be male, by it's hanging, but strong jaw, large but thin cheek. One that had a huge hole in it, and deep but blank eyes. It stood maybe six feet but looked taller with the white hardhat upon it's head, and had a limp in it's walk. It's teeth were yellow and crooked, and the gums of it's jaw was also gray, but had a pink to it still.

It moaned again, and stretched out it's long dead arm, reaching for Elizabeth, even though she was twenty feet away. It stepped forward, and caught itself on the better of the two legs. Hop, then the heavy step. Hop, heavy step. Hop, heavy step.

Elizabeth was caught. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to run, but she also wanted her mother and father. She wanted to go to them, but they were far on the other side of this creature.

_What do I do?!_ she thought.

Heavy step, hop, step, drag.

She was clueless, and her jaw started to chatter in her skull.

Hop, step drag, and a morn!

_It's getting closer! What is it?! _she thought as she dropped her flashlight, it rolled on the rock and to the concrete, stopping by the track. _I've got to move. I've got to tell someone! _

Her foot finally moved as the creature was about ten feet from her. She shook her head a bit. She turned on her heels, and started to run suddenly, snatching up her flashlight. The overhead lights came on as she passed them. She heard the creature give a louder, and desperate morn as she dashed away.

_What do I do!? What do I do!? _she thought as she ran, clicking off her light. She soon came to the metal door, and skidded to a stop. Her legs were numb and heavy from all that running. She tried to swing the door open, like Brain and Andrew once did, but it was blocked.

_"No!"_ she cried quietly.

Then sounded another strange cry from the creature, the sound waves catching up to her. She wheeled around, to look behind her.

_It is fast? How!? It was limping a few minutes ago! _she thought as she turned back to the door.

"Andrew! Brian!" she called. No answer. "C'mon guys! This isn't funny! _Let me in!_" Still, nothing.

The cry sounded again, but louder, which meant closer. Her heart rate tripled, as she looked around desperately. The grip on her flashlight tighter as the sweat from her palm made it slippery. Her breathing became panting as she looked.

Another cry, and then she could hear the heavy steps.

_No, no, no! _she was thinking. She then looked to the wooden ceiling, staring to recall a few things.

_Okay... I've got lights, which means wiring or something... this is a tunnel. The ventilation system or air conditioning!_

A much louder cry, and Elizabeth spun around, looking right at the creature, some fifty feet away, standing right there. It smiled and started to morn and step towards her.

She gasped as she looked to the floor, finding a vent there. It looked small, but then large enough for her to fit her shoulders through. She used the end of her flashlight to knock off the loose screws to the grate above the vent.

She looked back at the creature and threw the grate at it, hitting it in the legs. She heard a snap, as one of it's legs broke, and it fell to it's side. Her eyes became wide, as it started to drag itself towards her, with it's one arm, still morning as it crawled.

Elizabeth dropped her feet in first, hitting the floor of the vent below, and squeezed in her hips, shoulders, then head, right when the creature was ten feet from her she crawled quickly on her stomach away from the opening, down back the way that she first encountered the creature. She soon stopped, thinking that would be a dead end, since she would run into rock. She turned down another vent, and started to make her way towards the door that Andrew and Brian were, as she guessed, on the other side.

She came to another grate, and using her feet, she kicked it up, and crawled up and out of the vent, looking around as some more lights flickered on. She wiped her head and face free of sweat, and put her flashlight in one of the side pockets of her backpack, so that she may access it easily. She looked to the door, seeing that a small piece of wood was lodged under the door, so that it couldn't swing open. She sighed a bit, both happy and sad that it was blocked. Happy because it was keeping the creature away from her, sad because she couldn't get through herself a moment ago.

She started down the passage, in a quick, but silent manner. It was the same as the passage behind the door in her wake. Dim lights and walls, but she kept her eyes peeled and ears open for someone or another one of those... zombies.

That was the only thing she could call it, recalling some of the things that Mistress had said about strange things like this. Elizabeth always thought that the woman was joking, but apparently the woman wasn't joking now. Werewolves, vampires, and zombies were all suddenly real to Elizabeth now, and she hated having that thought.

Sometime later, Elizabeth could hear voices. They must have been Andrew and Brian. She started to speed up as she ran down the dim passage and into a room off to the side of the passage. She stood quietly behind them, waiting for them to stop chattering.

"This sword is going to sell for a fortune!" Andrew whispered.

Brian nodded and grinned.

Elizabeth added in a loud whisper, "That's only if you don't end up dead trying to get it outta here!"

Both jumped, and cursed at the same time.

"What are you doing here?!" Andrew snapped.

"We locked you out of this part of the tunnel!" Brian added, both yelling.

Elizabeth panicked, and hushed them both. "Whisper. We all need to get out of here now. I don't care about--" she looked to the gold plated sword in Andrews hands. "—about that!"

"Why so sudden? Gonna turn us in?" Andrew asked loudly.

Elizabeth looked scared. "No! Now whisper! For the last time!" she snapped. "I know that you won't believe me, so I've gotta show you. But promise me that you'll follow me and not ask any questions. I don't know the answers."

Andrew rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he huffed as he stuffed the large sword in his backpack, most if it exposed from the top of his pack.

Brian on the other hand, thought about it. "I think that maybe we should listen to her."

"Her pop's is an army dude! She's gonna be full of it Brian!" Andrew snapped loudly. "You know that as well as I do!"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "You're a royal idiot."

"Yeah, and I'm going to be getting back," he said as he looked to his friend. "You can come with me if you'd like."

"You've got to see this. That way, I know I'm not crazy," Elizabeth adds.

Brian looked confused for a moment, but then nodded. "I'll catch up Andrew."

Andrew looked livid. "Fine." And with that, he walked away, leaving Elizabeth and Brian alone.

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"Just right here," Elizabeth whispered as she came to the door. The grate to the vent was still laying off, untouched. Elizabeth's nose twitched at the smell of rotting flesh. They could hear the morning.

"What is that?" Brian asked.

"Zombie," Elizabeth answered. Brian got a get real expression. Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "It's true! Come and look! I'll open it just a little."

She walked over to the door, kicking the wood out from under the door. She slowly opened the door. Little, by little, by little till it was only two inches open. She glanced out herself for a moment, seeing a puddle of black blood on the floor, some loose flesh close by, rotten and gray.

"Look!" she whispers to him. Brian's green eyes shot out the open door a bit. He took a step close and peered out, seeing the leg. He stepped back, and started to try to hold his breath, knowing that he might hurl.

"I believe you," he muttered out.

Elizabeth nodded as she started to close the door.

**BANG!**

Elizabeth was thrown back a few inches, and she howled out, stunned by the force. A long, dead arm snaked out towards Brian through the opening of the door, the thing morning while inching forward. Brian's eyes became wide and he cursed as he ran to help Elizabeth try to hold the door.

"It's so strong!" Brian shouted to Elizabeth over the death cries. "We've gotta run or push it back!"

Elizabeth's eyes shot toward the grate at their feet. Brian's eyes followed hers as the arm turned and started to dig its long, red nails into the flesh at Brian's arm. He flinched a bit.

"Grab that!" she yelled.

Brian pushed off the dead hand and dashed for the grate. He suddenly was met with glowing dead yellow eyes from the dark vent. He froze as a zombie with a white hardhat slowly climbed out of the vent, a leg in it's mouth.

"Liz!?" he called. Elizabeth saw the zombie.

"Hit this one in the arm with the grate!" she yelled.

Brian spun around, bringing the grate down on the arm in the door. It went half through, and they slammed the door shut on the arm, cutting it from the zombie. There was a scream, and Brian let out a yelp as the zombie in the vent latched onto his leg with it's one hand, tripping him, and starting to drag him back towards it's open mouth, and exposed teeth.

Elizabeth blinked as she picked up the grate, and slammed it down on its head. Nothing happened. It was the hard hat. She narrowed her eyes as she kicked off the hardhat, and then tried her attack again, this time, the skull of the zombie broke open. Gray brain matter flew in every which way, and the zombie fell back into the vent.

Brian crawled away and ran to stand behind Elizabeth.

"This is messed up!" he whispered as he panted heavily.

Elizabeth looked to him. "We've gotta go and tell someone. I have no idea how these things got here bet we've gotta find help. We can't do this."

Brian nodded.

Without another word, they were off.

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"We've been walking for hours!" Brian whispered to Elizabeth. "We've seen more zombies than I can count! And I'm hungry!"

"Stop your yapping!"

"I can't help it! I didn't do this and get us lost down here! You did!"

"Well, we wouldn't be down here in the first place if you and Andrew didn't wander off to steal something!"

Brian shut his mouth to this. It was true, they were down there almost all of four hours. They came across some zombies in pieces, and others that could move quite quickly. They were able to doge those most of the time. The thing that bothered Elizabeth the most was that a good number of the zombies had white hardhats. They were once living.

_The tour must be over by now,_ Elizabeth thought. _They must be looking for us, knowing mother and father._

"Let's rest for a moment," Brian suggested.

Elizabeth nodded to this, and they both sat down. The lights above them flickered, and went out again. They figured out a while back, that the lights had some kind of system that made them go one with movement and heat. That was why the zombies never triggered it, but the light was not bright enough to hurt them.

Elizabeth sighed and waved her arm around. The lights flickered back on, and there was a figure standing at the end of the tunnel that the two had just come down. Elizabeth eyed it, along with Brian. They both shot to their feet when they heard the familiar mourn, and then it started to run towards them with great speed.

They said nothing as they also took off running at top speeds. Elizabeth looked over her shoulder to see it grin and bare its teeth for a moment. Its teeth were white. Her eyes became wide as the death cry sounded from it's vocals.

"Find a door!" she yelled as she ran, Brian right behind her.

They soon found one that led into another tunnel, they swung around, and slammed the door in the zombies face. This door had a lock. Not thinking twice about anything, Brian locked the door and they both took some steps back, panting.

"That was close," Brian muttered through his breaths.

Elizabeth turned around and screamed as she looked down at the little person that was the tour guide for her and Brains class.

"Easy, easy!" he was yelling. "We've been looking for you for the last hour!" he was saying. "Now, come with me."

Brian and Elizabeth looked at one another, and then followed the little person down the hall.

Within a few minutes, of turning and twisting, they came to a guarded elevator. Two huge bulky men with shotguns stood guarding. In no time, they were on the elevator and down to a floor, which was labeled, _Floor D_, among some other ones.

_Thank God we're outta this one,_ Elizabeth was thinking. The doors opened, and they walked out of the elevator, taking a right. The floor changed from the aluminum, to nice hard wood, and was lit nicely.

The little man led them to an office, where they sat, and waiting outside the office. Some time later, the office door creaked open, and a man with long, white hair and green eyes asked for Brian to come in alone.

Brian did so, leaving Elizabeth to herself. She waited, and waited, and waited. This was giving her much time to think. Many thoughts were running though her head, and she was having trouble shifting about them, for her surroundings were strange to her.

"Elizabeth," the mans voice said, causing Elizabeth to jump. She looked to him, wide eyed. He raised a white eyebrow. "May I talk to you?" he asked. She nodded, not caring about Brian at the moment.

She was soon seated in the seat in front of the desk, quite and waiting for the man to ask questions. He sat and looked into her eyes. His eyes were striking and he looked like he was in his early twenties, even though his hair was white. He looked to the door that was off to his left. It was not the hall that Elizabeth once sat in.

"Come," was all he said, and the door opened. Elizabeth's mother walked out, giving her a hug.

"Sweetie! What happened?" her mother whispered.

Elizabeth shook her head. "I don't know mom."

Her father then walked in, looking down at her for a moment, then to the man. "Thank you, Mark," he said. Elizabeth looked to her father, raising an eyebrow.

"Dad?" she asked.

"Yes Elizabeth?"

"Your—You're acting strange." She looked him right in the eyes. One of his brown eyes was blood shot.

She then pushed her mother back, and looked her in her green eyes. One of her eyes were blood shot as well. She looked to the man, whom her father addressed as 'Mark.' She shook her head as she pushed her mother away.

"What is going on?!" she asked with fear, knowing that his man had a lot of power.

He smiled. "It's simple; you've been chosen." He snapped his fingers, and her parents faces morphed into gray ones, and blank eyes.

Elizabeth scrammed as she dashed past them as fast as she could, into the room that her mother and father came out of, kicking the door shut with her foot. She panted as she backed up, and was grabbed by the small hands of a child. She jolted forward, away from them.

The children sounded a death scream as she moved away. The children where shackled by they're wrists to a bench, and could not reach her as she backed away. There must have been twenty of them, all scramming in the same pitch that made Elizabeth cover her ears and squeeze her eyes shut tight. She opened her eyes slightly, seeing that the children's flesh was gray and dead as well. Her now dead parents then banged on the door behind her, causing Elizabeth to shoot forward and run down the room to the corner.

She tripped, and fell over two bodies. They were Andrew and Brian. Both of their faces old and gray. They looked to her, with blank eyes and grins as they crawled forward, Andrew on top of her, trying to bite her face. She screamed out as she grabbed the sword from his backpack, and swinging it around, she took off half of his head. Black blood stained the golden blade, and her face. Brian was right behind Andrew, now at her waist, trying to bite her side. She didn't even see Brian as Brian anymore as she brought the sword down on his head also. She pushed both of the bodies off of her, and shot up, covered in the blood.

The zombie children looked to her, screaming.

_They're not human anymore,_ she thought as her grip on the sword became tight. _They're something else._

The door that she dashed out of swung open, and there stood Mark, and both of her parents.

Elizabeth shook her head slowly, and ran down the line of children, taking off heads, and half heads. All the while, glaring at Mark. She soon killed the last zombie child, and came to Mark and her parents.

"Sweetie? It's alright," her mother said, with a sad expression. "We can go home and sleep."

"Would you like to have some target practice with the six shooter?" her father asked.

"You're not my parents. You're something else," she muttered as she ran at them with the sword, and knocking down her mother quickly, then followed by her father. They didn't even put up a struggle. She then raised the sword to bring off Marks head, but he only smiled as he raised his hand and quickly blocked the sword.

Elizabeth blinked.

"This is my sword," he said, and with a quick flick of his wrist he took it from Elizabeth with such force, that Elizabeth's arm went numb, and she stumbled back.

He grinned. Elizabeth blinked, and soon found that Mark was swinging the blade, she tried to doge it, but she failed.

The next thing she knew, she was laying in a pit. She sat up, and tried to stand, but found that her legs were not working. She was so confused. There was a few flickers here and there as lights came on, and above her, there was a blue light, flashing on and off. She tried to scream, but her cry was cut off as she felt her body being ripped to shreds.

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She opened her eyes to find her mother, holding her. "It's alright Liz! Just a nightmare!"

Elizabeth's eyes went to her mothers face... a younger looking mother. Elizabeth blinked. Her mother smiled. "Go back to sleep Liz. It's a school night."

When her mother was out of the room, Elizabeth quietly slipped out of her bed, and onto the floor.

_This room looks a lot like my old one, up in Michigan,_ Elizabeth thought as she looked to her mirror. Her jaw dropped. She had brown eyes and a rounder face. She looked nine years old. She looked around for the calendar that her father had her hang in her room. She found it. It was January of 1997. Elizabeth sat down on the floor.

_How could this have happened?_ she wondered. She went to the desk by her bed, and looked for a blank note book. She flipped to the first page. She then looked for her journal. She knew she had one. She found it, opened it, and saw all the dates. _1997, 97, 97, 1997..._

She had no idea of how this happened. She was flabbergast about it all.

After many minutes, she knew of what she had to do. She took out a blue pen and started to write in the empty notebook.

_Journal Entry 1_

_1/3/97_

_Running was something that got you someplace. Even if it was to trouble, away from it, or for no big deal. You run for the things that you love, and then the things that you hate, or fear. But then who's to say that it, if it is fear or something you hate, won't find you? Is this how every story starts? With someone fearing something? I was walking right into it, and not running away when I got the point. Does that make me different in someway that people find it strong, smart, or stupid? Could my father being an ex US solider be it? This is my second chance to find out. Maybe something about me beside the fact that I love to live and love life since it's been good to me._

She paused for a moment and started to add more.

_I don't know what I'm going to do. I'll have to go through puberty again. That sucked. But then I've gotta stop Mark, before anything happens. I've gotta do something. I know I can make a difference._

_End Journal Entry 1_

With that written, she sat by the window, the rising sun hitting her young, warm flesh. She had to wait till that day at the Tunnel would come again, but what was she to do in the mean time?

**END PART I**


End file.
